Description

This is an old Shelf Road mini-classic. If this route was 80 feet, it would be the bomb. I belayed my first whipper on this beast over a decade ago, and for some reason every time I get on it, I get a little weak in the knees on the upper clips.

The list is located about 50 yards south of Suburbia in a similar little corner. This corner has a nice block to sit on and a pleasant tree to hang your hat on. On the south-facing wall of this corner, The List is on the left (note the old, home-made hangers at the start. On the right is a nice bolted arete called "Hide 'n Seek".

As with many of the old Shelf routes, clipping the first bolt is a bit tenuous, particularly if you don't have long arms. After this is clipped, stroll up easy rock with crazy jugs to a cave for GI Joes. From here, blast through the next steep section on pumpy jugs, and mind your feet. Run laps on this one at the end of the day until you can't drive home.

No need to inflate grades: this is a .10a climb. Because it's hard to read, or has sucker holds, doesn't mean that the moves are any more difficult when you find them, in my opinion. I would submit Mother of Invention as a benchmark .10c for Shelf. This is more of a cruise compared to those.

I think it was hard to rate this a .10b - the most difficult move I found on the route was at the very top and the rock starts to get past vertical for just a few moves. That might be why people keep rating this harder than it is, but this climb was fun either way. The third clip is a ways away from the 2nd and puts you in groundfall territory if you fail with rope pulled out. If you are breaking in to leading .10, this route is great! Just don't blow the third clip, and you'll be fine for the rest of it.